Pilot alleges assault

Press, 24 May 1977, Page 1

Pilot alleges assault

A complaint of assault was laid against a Japanese fishing master by a Lyttelton Harbour Board pilot after an incident on board a tuna boat yesterday morning. the incident occurred when Captain J. F. E. Crawford went to shift the tuna boat from the cattle jetty, where she had been bunkering, to another berth. The tuna boat Takashima Maru No. * was to have been moved to another berth to permit harbour board divers to cut away fishing line wrapped

round her propeller before she sailed later in the day. The incident took place when Captain Crawford attempted to take over the controls of the vessel. The Lyttelton police were called in and statements were taken. A decision on whether to proceed with a charge of assault is expected to be made by the police today. It is not known whether the police are treating the matter as common assault or one of interfering with a pilot in the course of his duty as covered in the Harbours Act.

A file on the incident has been passed to the prosecutions branch at Christchurch central police station, but a spokesman for the branch said a final decision on whether any charge would be laid might not be made for several days. While legal action is pending it is believed that the tuna boat will not be handled by pilots. In the meantime harbour board divers have successfully disentangled the Takashima’s propellers.